Rewind
by TrappedintheTimeVortex
Summary: The Doctor is dead. Fortunately, his newest companion - Mia Williams - knows how to save his life. But when the TARDIS goes awry, she finds herself plunged into a network of events which she quickly becomes entangled in. How will she deal with being stranded in the past? And even worse, will she choose to rewind time?
1. Death of the Doctor

**Disclaimer: **Before we begin, let me mention that I do _not _own Doctor Who. If I did, 11 wouldn't be regenerating this Christmas. However, I do own Mia Willams and the alien people called the Ronsurax. Not that they'll be mentioned much anyway. Now, it's time to begin this story of *cough*epic*cough* proportions. Allons-y!

* * *

"Doctor!" Mia Williams unleashed a gut-wrenching scream. With strenuous effort, she attempted to wrestle away from her alien captors, but their serrated claws lacerated her wrist. Gasps of distress ensued, for viscous blood oozed from the gash; it dribbled incessantly to the dusty ground beneath her feet. In agony, and with no means of liberating herself, Mia was futilely resigned to regard the grotesque leader of the Ronsurax as he aimed his pistol at the Doctor. Wheezing breaths punctured her silent beseeches.

_Don't hurt him, _Mia implored. _Please, don't hurt him!_

Should the trigger be thrust by those chartreuse claws, the Doctor would be slain. This particular pistol had been conceived millennia ago, when the Time Lords all flitted about the universe. Because the Ronsurax were bent upon domination, the weapon had been contrived in such a manner which made it plausible to preclude regeneration. This inevitably meant no more travels with the Doctor.

"I told you, I'm here to help," the Doctor elucidated, stepping closer to the chief of the Ronsurax people.

The chief's claw flexed the trigger threateningly. "No," the fetid, scaly creature growled. "It is none other than I that shall help the Ronsurax. You shall both perish for threatening my authority."

"No!" The Doctor shouted abruptly; his voice softened as he continued, "Let her go. Do what you will with me, but let her go!"

Mia exhaled shakily as the chief eyed both her and the Doctor. He even began to lower the pistol. _Please, let us go! Out of the mercy in your heart, let us go! We didn't mean to harm you! Honest!_

But abruptly, the chief's opaque eyes morphed into a sanguine scarlet blaze. He cocked the pistol at the Doctor and jerked the trigger, all the while grinning homicidally. At once, a ray of harsh, radiant white light emanated from the pistol, enveloping the Doctor.

"No!" Mia shrieked, her voice rasping with terror.

The Doctor staggered backward from the force of the collision, but maintained his balance. Albeit surviving the initial impact, the Doctor was now undergoing the throes. His body lurched wildly from the physical agony; his teeth were gritted in misery and savagery, as if the entirety of his prolonged life was flashing before his eyes.

Mia could barely observe her Doctor relinquishing his life, collapsing in the dust of a foreign planet, because her hazel eyes were permeated with tears.

"Leave, and never come back, or you shall die as your friend has." The chief of the Ronsurax nodded toward the Doctor, who was now sprawled in the dirt, convulsing slightly.

Mia nodded through her tears. She vaguely registered the Ronsurax guard releasing his grip on her wrists. The callous aliens teleported away from the remote location, and Mia stumbled over to the perishing Doctor's side. She sank to her knees, adjacent to his drained body, hazily trying to locate the words to soothe the Doctor during his concluding moments.

"Doctor?" She murmured, her voice catching in her throat.

His fading green-gray eyes flickered open. "Mia Williams." A meager smile crept across his face, and Mia smiled back. It wouldn't have been forced so much, if not for now. The Doctor's smile was usually so infectious, his very personality too.

Mia choked back a sob by biting her lip. "Yeah?"

The Doctor's eyes were growing dim; Mia clasped her hand in his and all of the splendid memories that they shared surged through her mind. She remembered standing beside him in the doorframe of the TARDIS while they observed the creation of the Polemus Nebula; she remembered fleeing from Ice Warriors; she remembered being cornered in a dark alleyway by Daleks until the Doctor saved her life; she remembered saving his life; she remembered the Doctor taking her to Gallifrey, and the hysteria that had come over both of them when she had been trapped on the time-locked planet. She remembered all of it, and now… this. Where their paths parted.

"Who… are… you?" The Doctor breathed heavily; it was the one question never answered during his lifetime.

"I don't know," Mia whispered in reply, but the Doctor never heard. His eyes fluttered shut and his head slumped backward.

The one thing that had beguiled the Doctor was Mia. She knew far more about the Time Lord than any other human – even down to his name – and even the girl herself could not comprehend she had come about such a wealth of knowledge. To her, it had simply 'always been there'. No matter how intently or distantly anyone peered into Mia's cryptic past, she and the Doctor had simply never crossed paths before. No one resided in the vicinity that was affiliated with the Doctor, Torchwood wasn't enmeshed, and Mia certainly was not kin to the Doctor or any of his former companions. She merely was.

The Doctor's hand was chilly now; Mia untangled their laced hands because she couldn't bear the reminder that her Doctor was now deceased: a gelid, defunct shell of his former self. Quietly, she speculated her next move, warily eyeing the Doctor's motionless body every so often. Even with the vast rift of death severing them, she wouldn't let him out of her sight. Not now, anyway.

Mia knew how to fly the TARDIS, but wasn't sure how the machine would react to her thief's death. The TARDIS could be quite cantankerous. But she had to chance it.

Wrapping her arms around the Doctor's skinny waist, Mia hauled her deceased friend into the TARDIS, placing him with his back against the console. She knelt down to fix his mess of floppy dark brown hair and straighten his bowtie. That way he wouldn't seem quite so deceased, just... as if he were sleeping...

Scrambling to her feet, Mia cast a final, longing look at the Doctor.

_I was the cause of this, _she told herself guiltily. _I could have done something._

_Mia, don't you remember time can be re-written?_

Mia involuntarily stiffened as the Doctor's words resounded in her ears. Was it probable for him to send her a message from beyond the grave? Casting the slightly perturbing thought aside, Mia leapt into action, darting to the console.

_I'm going to fly the TARDIS to earlier today. When I get there, I can step in front of the trigger and die in the place of the Doctor. Yes, it means my life, but I would gladly give it up for him a million times over. He's the most wonderful man ever. Besides, a universe without the Doctor is a perilous one indeed._

With a flourishing spin, she completed her operation of the controls. The TARDIS produced a metallic hum; this bizarre drone steadily intensified. Abruptly, the TARDIS pitched, flinging Mia to the ground. Barely winded, she regained her footing and clung to the console. Machinery sparked hazardously; Mia released her grip on the console and allowed herself to be hurtled - at an alarming rate - towards the railing which encompassed the central dais.

_What have I done? _Mia wondered as the chaos continued to seethe about her.

Another jar accompanied the arrival of flames within the console room; Mia could not recall a time that the TARDIS had been this tumultuous - except for the regeneration of the Doctor's ten incarnation into his eleventh. Sputtering, Mia reached for the lever which should placate the TARDIS. However, she was exceptionally short and not very flexible; therefore, in order to reach the lever, she had to quit clenching the railing and almost instantaneously seize the lever. Inhaling, Mia unfolded her hand, from about the rails but was too sluggish to grab the lever.

She instead slipped away from the console and struck her cranium against the TARDIS doors. Amidst the fray, Mia discovered herself meeting darkness...

* * *

**A/N: **My first Doctor Who fic, what do you think? Please R/R!


	2. The Runaway Bride: Part 1

_Mia's POV_

* * *

Mia's eyelids fluctuated rapidly; they fissured to reveal twin hazel irises. Her senses were rebounding, which was both pleasant and unpleasant news for Mia, because her head now pulsated and her body ached. However, the stench of smoke had seemingly vanished, and from where she was lying - sprawled on her back - the TARDIS seemed to have automatically refurbished itself. This relieved Mia greatly, because if she'd broken the machine...

"What?" The overwhelmed, almost fatigued, voice of the Doctor filled the console room. Mia sighed, rue battering her heart. In less than a sentence, she could explain the phenomena which was unfolding about her: hallucination. However, the hallucination - dream, for lack of a better word - didn't astound her. Partially, she assumed, it was because she longed to be reunited with the Doctor. Partially...

"Who are the pair of ya?"

Mia prevented herself from gasping aloud. She recognised that voice!

_No way! Donna Noble? I've only got to see previous companions from afar before - except for Rose Tyler._

Incredulous, Mia gaped at Donna, rather certain that her hazel eyes were as round as saucers. Donna was attired in a wedding gown, and Mia concluded that this was no longer a dream, but reality. And by studying the ire rippling in Donna's brown eyes as they swept from Mia, to the Doctor, and back again, the severity of the situation sank in.

Sitting up in a rather stiff manner, Mia winced. Each bone in her body seemed to ache. 'Doctor, I can explain...' she mumbled, blearily rubbing the drowsiness from her eyes. But upon seeing the Doctor, her heart swelled with an overwhelming pleasure. Though he wasn't _her _Doctor, the incarnation with the messy dark brown hair and side-swept bangs; the one with the abnormal chin; the one that declared everything generally considered rubbish to be 'cool', he was still the Doctor, all the same. Mia promptly sprang to her feet and enveloped him in a tenacious hug. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Tears of gladness swarmed down her cheeks as she continued to bury her face in the fabric of his jacket. Here was the Doctor, standing before her, alive once more.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Mia freed the Doctor and simply stared at him. No traces of recognition flickered in his chocolate-brown eyes, and for a heartbeat, Mia was dismayed until she remembered that he didn't know who she was yet. "Oh, I'm sorry, was that too much?" She breathed.

"Alright, I want to know. Where am I?" Donna heatedly bellowed, interrupting the silence. "What the hell is this place?"

_Oh, Donna, it's such a shame that you had to go._

"You both can't do that! I wasn't… we're in flight!" The Doctor exclaimed, still bewildered. Repeatedly, he looked Mia and Donna up and down. "That is – that is physically impossible! How did…?"

"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now - where am I?" Donna insisted, folding her arms across her chest.

Mia smirked. "Welcome to the TARDIS. I'm glad to see you're so eager so quickly. Most people aren't, you know..."

Frowning, Donna shouted, "That's not even a proper word!"

_Yes, it is. It's an acronym. Time and Relative Dimension in Space._

"How did you get in here?" The Doctor mused, not fazed by Donna's impertinent temperament.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you?" Donna interrogated, shifting to prop her hands on her hips. "Is it Nerys?"

"It wasn't Nerys!" Involuntarily, Mia's eyes rolled as she protested. Of course, neither the Doctor nor Donna knew how this adventure was going to turn up. But _Mia _did. She had known every word, even before the Doctor had first uttered the tale to her. And how was that?

"And how would you know?" Donna irately prompted.

"You…" Mia's mouth began to form the words. Donna had been drawn to the TARDIS because of huon energy. But instinctively, Mia prevented herself from answering accurately. That would have aroused far too many questions, especially from the Doctor. "I - I don't know."

The ends of Donna's lips curled upward in a arrogant smirk. "See?"

_I do know! I just... can't tell you._

But the Doctor still wasn't quick enough to catch on. "Hold on, wait a second - what're you dressed like that for?" He inquired, genuinely curious.

Obviously, the Doctor's comment irked Donna even further. "I'm going ten pin bowling," the ginger answered sarcastically before spitting, "What do you think, dumbo! I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor turned back to the controls whilst Donna persisted in her rant, but to Mia, it sound more like babbling. Thoroughly engrossed in coming to terms with the situation, Mia wasn't exactly heeding Donna's speech anyway. The past TARDIS and the future TARDIS must have merged, Mia concluded, which therefore meant she would have to shuffle back to a domestic life...

No.

Never.

She couldn't.

"I've been waiting for this my entire life! I just seconds away! And then you - I dunno, drugged me!"

"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor protested, diverting his attention from the console.

_Does he look like he knows _anything_? _Mia blatantly thought.

"We're having the police on you!" Donna shrieked in reply, still as indignant as ever. "Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off of ya!"

Mia stood in front of Donna, making an attempt to convince the woman otherwise. Hazel met brown; their eyes seared into one another. Biting her lip, Mia whispered, "Look, whatever you think the Doctor did, I can assure you that it wasn't his fault. Not on purpose, anyway." She glanced over her shoulder at his pin-stripe clad form hunched over the console. "Something painful, very painful has just happened to him. I can see it in his eyes. And he needs us - you, especially - to help him right now."

"And how can I trust you?" Donna demanded, a note of finality in her voice. With that said, the ginger hastily whirled about and stormed toward the doors of the TARDIS.

"No!" Mia exclaimed, sprinting after Donna. "Don't..."

The conspicuous unease in Mia's shrill cry modified the Doctor's plans. His head jerked up, and upon seeing Donna advancing toward the TARDIS doors - and Mia in pursuit - he rushed after both of them. "Wait a minute! Wait one minute!"

But Donna had already flung apart the doors and was gazing, in awe, at the brilliance of the supernova beneath them. "We're..."

"You're in space, outer space. This is my... space-ship. It's called the TARDIS."

_Stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space, _Mia wanted to add, but she bit her lip. Her very presence here was altering the Doctor's time-stream, and it wasn't even in the manner she had envisaged!

"How am I breathing?" Donna wondered aloud, still dumbfounded by the sight of stars stretching endlessly in every direction.

"The TARDIS is protecting us," The Doctor explained.

_It's more like a bubble of oxygen surrounding it. I've been floating outside, you know?_

"Who are you?" Donna queried, deciding that it was now appropriate to ask vital questions. Nodding to Mia, she added, "And your friend?"

"I'm the Doctor," he answered without delay; then he squinted at Mia, and the girl felt anxiety worm through her. "She's... I don't know."

"Since you don't know, my name is Mia. Mia Williams." Furious at herself, Mia bit her bottom lip until it began to leak blood. She was not supposed to leave behind any traces! "And you?" She inquired of Donna, attempting both to be polite and divert unnecessary attention to herself.

"Donna," Donna whispered rather breathlessly.

_Yes, Donna Noble. I know you. The most important woman in the whole of creation__._

"Right!" The Doctor exclaimed emphatically, causing Mia to start. Slamming the doors shut, he dashed to the console, tinkering with the controls whilst he chattered at an alarming pace. I still don't understand it – and I understand everything! This – this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…" At this point, the Doctor seized an ophthalmoscope and used it to peer first into Donna's eyes, then Mia's. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…"

Donna hand shot out from beside her side and audibly connected with the Doctor's cheek.

"What was that for?" He cried indignantly.

"Get me to the church!" Donna savagely yelled, as if the answer were apparent.

_I'm afraid this isn't going to end up as you planned, Donna. Just like me._

* * *

Mia, Donna and the Doctor blundered out of the TARDIS, into what was supposed to be the city of Chiswick. Of course, Mia already had the foreknowledge that the city in which they had landed was certainly _not _Chiswick. Which meant the trio were quite a distance from the actual location of Donna's wedding.

But Mia could not explain this to either; she had to be reticent about the capabilities of her mind, lest she alter the time-stream.

_Not under any circumstance,_ Mia decided, _can I tell anyone about this. I will soon be gone, and the Doctor will forget me. But we will meet again._

"I said St. Mary's!" Donna complained as she scanned the street in both directions. "What sort of a Martian are you? Where is this?"

Mia shrugged. "I dunno. Never seen this side of town before - and I've been _everywhere_."

"Something's wrong with her." Troubled, the Doctor stroked the blue wood which composed the TARDIS.

Donna rolled her eyes, but Mia clasped her hands together. This was practically where all of the excitement began!

"It's like... she's recalibrating!" The Doctor concluded with a shout, darting back inside the machine.

"She's _digesting_," Mia called pointedly after him.

"But the question is, what has she eaten?" Mia almost imagined the Doctor bending to press one ear against the console. "What have you eaten, eh girl? What's wrong?" Abruptly, his voice grew louder, almost into a yell as he inquired of Donna, "Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might have caused this? Mia?"

Mia studied Donna as the bride slowly circled the exterior of the TARDIS, her slender fingers brushing against the blue wood.

"Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you… have you seen lights in the sky? Or… did you touch something? Something – something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or… who're you getting married to?"

Donna poked her head between the doors, as if to confirm the existence of what she'd seen. Upon confirmation, Donna backed away, a hand placed securely across her gaping mouth.

"Are you sure he's human?" The Doctor rattled on. "He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

"No, it's not the Slitheen!" Mia exclaimed rather brusquely. "She's not getting married to a Slitheen! Now, look, you're frightening her!"

Donna had turned and began hastily began her flight from Mia and the Doctor.

The Doctor erupted from the interior of the TARDIS, barely stopping to shut the door behind him. "No time to waste, Mia Williams. Come on."

He grabbed her hand and tugged her along behind him. They broke into a light jog as they pursued the fleeing form of Donna.

"Donna!" Mia called.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted.

"Leave me alone," Donna grumbled, not looking at either of them. "I just wanna get married."

_I'm sorry, but he's not the right one. You'll find someone better someday. _Mia bit her tongue in order to prevent the words from spewing forth.

"Come back to the TARDIS," The Doctor insisted.

"No way," Donna disagreed, her voice huffy. "That box is too weird."

"Dimensionally transcendental, that's all," Mia tried to explain in a comforting manner, but she knew that her description was inadequate.

"Oh, that's all?" Donna growled, lifting her wrist to check the time. Bitterly, she exclaimed, "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

"I'm terribly sorry," Mia whispered, sympathy glowing in her eyes.

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." The Doctor offered.

"How can I do that?" Donna snarled, fury from missing her special occasion causing her to be more savage than she was.

"Haven't you got a mobile? Either of you?" The Doctor inquired.

Donna glared at the Doctor as if he were the most moronic creature on the planet. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said, 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets?'?!"

Whereas Donna ranted, Mia merely shook her head. She'd had her mobile before the TARDIS erupted with flame; now, she hadn't the vaguest idea of where it could be. _If I do get married, I'll make sure to have pockets!_

"This... man you're marrying, what's his name?" The Doctor inquired nonchalantly.

Donna sighed dreamily before answering, "Lance."

"Gotta like Lance," the Doctor said breezily.

"Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!"

Picking up the hem of her dress, Donna dashed off, leaving Mia and the Doctor behind.

_Such an obdurate personality - well at least until later anyway._

"I'm – I'm not… I'm not… I'm not from Mars." The Doctor looked slightly disconcerted at being called a Martian.

Mia grabbed his hand. "I know you're not. You're a Time Lord. But we _have _to catch up with her."

_Donna's future – and yours too, Doctor – depends on it._

"Who are you, Mia Williams?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

_I really don't. All I know is that I see his face - always different, every time - and then I'm caught up in his troubles. But... he never seems to remember me. The question is, why? Who exactly am I? What am I? _Another thought plagued her._ What if I never find out?_


	3. The Runaway Bride: Part 2

_Mia's POV_

* * *

"Taxi!" Donna shrilled, her hands waggling in the air whilst she pattered up and down the length of the sidewalk.

Mia and the Doctor skidded to a halt a few metres away, watching the taxi not heed the fiery ginger.

"Why's his light on?" Donna demanded, though it was really directed to no one in particular.

Mia shrugged. Putting on a show, appearing as if she were as wound up in the events as either of the two, was easy. She spotted a taxi a few metres away and pointed at it, which was accompanied with a sharp cry. "There's another one!"

Waving feebly to catch the driver's attention, Mia sprinted down the hectic street. People, clinging to their purses and bags full of items, crossly bellowed at her as she wove between them, narrowly avoiding collision with several by only a hair's breadth.

"Taxi!" Donna shouted again, stumbling onto the asphalt.

By now, Mia had doubled back to re-join Donna and the Doctor. It was vital that she did not get lost – and the taxi was driving in the opposite direction. The pair were flailing their arms in a desperate attempt to snag the driver's attention, but the taxi merely drove past.

"Oi!" Donna yelled fiercely to the driver.

"Now why'd he do that?" Mia grumbled, folding her arms across her chest in mock irritation. "I thought we made our presence well-known."

No sooner than the first taxi passed, the Doctor located yet another and rushed toward it, loudly shouting. Mia and Donna jogged after him, but the driver of this cab also overlooked the trio with disdain.

"Oi!" Donna screamed in frustration.

_She knows that we're running out of time._

"Do you have this effect on everyone?" The Doctor inquired, puzzlement wrinkling his brow. "Why aren't they stopping?"

Mia shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find one for you, Donna. They must just… be listening to music or something. It is Christmas Eve, after all. Great way to be festive…"

_Honestly, who was going to believe that? That has got to be the worst lie I've ever told._

"No," Donna muttered dryly. "They think I'm in fancy dress."

Another taxi streaked past. However, instead of disregarding Mia, the Doctor, and Donna, the driver blared his horn and roared, "Stay off the scotch, darlin'!"

"They think I'm drunk." Donna groaned, throwing her hands in the air.

Mia grimaced. "Well, you're not, and that's all that matters, right?"

Meanwhile, a blue car coasted by and two impertinent men leaned out the window, calling, "You ain't fooling no one, mate!"

"They think I'm in drag."

_So much for the pep talk, _Mia thought bitterly.

The Doctor looked Donna up and down, as if he were evaluating her. "Hold on, hold on."

_Get ready_, Mia whispered wordlessly to Donna, to which the ginger gave a bewildered expression.

The Doctor placed his fingers between his lips and began to whistle. Donna grimaced and jammed her fingers in her ears so as to drown out the noise, as it was rather lengthy and strident in quality. All the same, it did attract a taxi, which the threesome gladly clambered into.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road. It's an emergency, I'm getting married! Just… hurry up," Donna ordered.

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." The cab driver informed Donna.

Already knowing the situation, Mia had fiddled around in her pockets and withdrawn two quid. "I don't suppose two quid is enough, is it?"

"Nope," the driver answered.

Mia frowned and withdrew a wad of alien money. "Will this do?"

The driver appraised the money. "What are you trying to do, cheat me? There is no such…"

"Couldn't you just do something out of the kindness of your heart?" Mia demanded.

The driver shook his head. "Sorry, I've got a family to feed."

With the raucous squeal of brakes, the taxi skidded to a halt and the trio scrambled out into the blustery day. Upon exiting the cab, Mia slammed the door behind her and tucked her hands into the pockets of her drab olive jacket.

"And that goes double for your mother!" Donna spat at the driver.

Rapidly, the taxi sped away.

"I'll have him," Donna huffed. "I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit."

The Doctor scanned the street, seeming surprised. "Is it Christmas?"

"Well, duh. Maybe not on Mars, but here it's Christmas Eve."

_And what a present I've received._

Mia normally would have been overjoyed that it was Christmas; the holiday was, in fact, her favourite. However, rewinding time to meet a formerly deceased friend and a woman that she'd only heard tales about was more than even she had come to expect in the passage of a single day. What was more was that she could not reveal anything to anyone, lest she alter more than she already had.

"Oh, look, a phone box!" Mia shouted.

The trio broke into a jog, hustling past clusters of shoppers toting bags stuffed with gifts, chattering eagerly into their phones. No doubt they would all be enjoying their humble lives, ripping open their exchanged presents beneath a beautifully adorned tree.

_Travelling with the Doctor, you forget all about holidays, even your own birthday. I'm not quite sure how old I am anymore._

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked Donna.

"Can't bear it. I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine – lovely."

"Well, I love Christmas," Mia put in boldly. "I think it's a brilliant holiday."

They reached the phone box; Donna unlatched the door and stepped inside. Mia casually leaned against the weathered frame of the phone box, her hazel gaze sweeping over broad swaths of careless civilians passing by.

"What's the operator?" Donna wondered aloud, gripping the phone in her shaky hands. "I've not done this in years. What do you dial? 100?"

Mia did not bother to look in the direction of the Doctor and Donna. What was the use? Perhaps she could just slip away now and hope she faded from memory entirely. That's what she always seemed to do. Why should this time be any different?

"Now, phone! Mia, come with me. We're getting money."

Long before the Doctor's words became cohesive in Mia's brain, she was being tugged along behind him as he ploughed through the masses. Though the cash machine was but a short distance from the phone box, Mia reminded herself to keep a steady watch over Donna Noble.

Already, an irritatingly slow man was withdrawing his money from the machine. The Doctor was growing anxious; he shifted from foot to foot in impatience.

"Oi!" Mia slugged him mischievously. "You'll get your turn in a moment, Doctor. Honestly, you've never been patient, have you? But don't worry. You'll get to use that sonic screwdriver and all."

No sooner had the words spewed from her mouth did she clamp her hand over her lips, still muttering; now it was muted.

The Doctor looked gravely at Mia. She scrutinized his eyes for any traces of recognition but could find none.

_Of course there wouldn't be! _Mia chided herself brusquely. _He's not even regenerated – or met the Ponds yet!_

"I don't know who you are, Mia Williams, but Donna needs my help right now. I think you know that as much as I do."

Her mouse-brown ponytail bobbled as she nodded. "Yes." In a softer pitch, she murmured his name.

But he heard. Instead of proceeding toward the cash machine, he seized Mia's wrist and whispered, "My name. You know my name. My real name. I've…"

Mia merely gave a slight dip of her head but inwardly, she was quivering with grief. All of her energy had been placed into fighting off a steady stream of tears which so desperately longed to escape her stinging eyes. _I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I can't save you. I'll try my hardest, though. Isn't that what I promised you?_

Instantly, the Doctor straightened up and released his rigid grasp. "Right! Money!" He exclaimed, surreptitiously scanning the area for any noticing persons. After doing so, he then slipped out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the machine, which beeped loudly and several quid dispensed.

He retrieved the cash and tucked it into his coat, staring intently at something in the distance. Mia knew it was the robots Santas, with their deadly alien weapons disguised as instruments. Inching closer and closer, the metallic creatures were closing in for their prey.

"Doctor!" Mia whispered in a rather shrill voice. Donna was about to get into the wrong taxi cab, and a deadly chase would ensue. She could stop it. She _would _stop it, just this one minor detail.

"What?" Her piercing voice must have jerked the Doctor from his thoughts because he stepped away from the machine.

"TAXI!" Donna's bellow rang out in the frigid air. The furious ginger spat, "Thanks for nothing, spaceman! I'll see you in court!"

Mia gazed on in horror as Donna clambered into the taxi and it barrelled away.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted after Donna, as if the woman could still hear him, although she had already disappeared, along with her captor.

The remaining robot Santas had levelled their instruments, causing Mia to panic. These scavengers would open fire on her and the Doctor. Thoughtlessly, her hand plunged inside the Doctor's jacket pocket and found its purchase in the sonic screwdriver. Depressing a small black button on the side and mentally ordering it to withdraw all of the bank's money, Mia pointed the silvery stick at the cash machine. Money was distributed in every direction, spiralling to the concrete in iridescent colours. People whooped in joy and danced at this so-called 'miracle'.

However, the diversion was enough to prevent the robots from firing upon them. Wasting no time, Mia gripped the Doctor's hand and towed him along with her. Because most everyone had formed a writhing mass, hoping to lay hands upon some of the money, the journey back was much easier. As soon as they returned to the TARDIS, Mia handed the Doctor his sonic screwdriver. He stashed it back inside his jacket before hurriedly unlocking the doors with a TARDIS key.

"Who are you?" The Doctor breathed as he rushed to the console and began throwing levers, flipping switches, and fiddling with the remaining controls. "How would you know to do that?"

Instinctively, Mia's hand flashed to the locket clasped about her neck. "I don't know." Her answer was more or less for both of the questions.

"You know what I love most?" Mia smirked as the Doctor peered up at her from the console.

"A good mystery." She answered without hesitation.

"Yes! Mysteries! Really good ones, though…"

"Doctor, I think you're forgetting about Donna."

"Oh, yes! Donna!" The Doctor slammed his palm heavily against a button. "Allons-y!"

_I'm so sorry, but I can't stick around, _Mia wanted to say. _You'll see me again, though. _She instinctively grinned as the console pitched. _I'll miss it here, in the TARDIS, that's certain. But it's always me that's got to save you in the end, I suppose._

Whilst the TARDIS commenced her distinctive, grating materialisation sound, the Doctor checked the monitor for Donna's location and locked onto it. Mia peered over his shoulder, grimacing at what she saw. "Do you think she'll be able to fly that low over the motorway?" She inquired hesitantly.

Of course, Mia already knew the answer; it was merely a ruse to pretend as if she didn't.

The Doctor did not reply, for now the console was sparking as if Mia's question had provoked it. Mia was surreally reminded of her own experience with a flaming console room just minutes ago. Now, the machine was spinning wildly, bashing into cars and skidding against the asphalt. Mia clung to the tower, her fingernails into whatever object was nearest to her.

"Mia!" The Doctor's words exploded into her mind, blossoming against the haze of chaos. He tossed her the end of the rope which he held the opposite end of. "Tie that to the black lever!"

Mia fumbled with the thin string for a few heartbeats before knotting it tightly around the lever.

"Anything else?" She called in reply.

"Hold tight!" The Doctor yelled, flinging open the door.

* * *

A stinging wind tore thin strands from the ponytail Mia had so painstakingly put in place this morning and whirled them into her eyes. She squinted against the air, blood roaring in her ears, still refusing to release her grip on the console. Her heart palpitated as the TARDIS pitched again and the Doctor was bashed awkwardly into the doorframe.

"Open the door!" He shouted to Donna.

"Do you what?" Donna demanded, though her voice was muffled.

"Open the door!" The Doctor repeated more loudly this time.

"I can't; it's locked!" Donna wailed, tugging in vain at the door handle.

Mia strained her vision, the image of the Doctor withdrawing his sonic screwdriver and pointing it at the car door, contorted and swimming in a puddle. With a slight squeal, the car window inched down a few inches.

"Santa's a _robot_!" Donna snarled, peering through the tiny slit between the frame of the car and the edge of the glass.

"Donna, open the door!" The Doctor pleaded.

An exasperated sigh slipped between Mia's lips. _Just do what the Doctor says already! _With an unsteady buck, Mia clutched harder to the console, her trainers skidding against the grate of the dais. Each moment, her energy drained slightly.

"What for?" Donna retorted.

"Just listen to him!" Mia shrieked.

_Honestly, you've been kidnapped by a robot mercenary and you wonder _why _you should escape from this taxi?_

"You've got to jump!" The Doctor insisted, still shouting in order to make his voice audible above the rush of wind and the din of car motors.

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping!" Donna obstinately protested. "I'm supposed to be getting married!"

Irritation – or perhaps guilt – pricked at Mia's heart. "We can help you get there in time!" She called to Donna, although Mia was almost certain that her words had been a waste. "Just listen to the Doctor and jump! He'll catch you, I promise!"

Their eyes met for a heartbeat, but Donna hesitated. Then the taxi shot forward, pulling away from the TARDIS. The rotating blue box hovered above the motorway for a moment before the Doctor jerked the string which Mia had previously attached to the lever. Sparks danced a hair's breadth from Mia.

Rather startled by the eruption, Mia's fingers loosened and she collapsed, sliding precariously toward the Doctor. Tumbling across the dais, she slipped through the narrow space between the Doctor and the opposite side of the doorway.

_Help me!_

Luckily, the fingers of her right hand grasped the edge of the TARDIS. However, she was suspended over the motorway, her legs flailing unrestrainedly. Mia shot a horrified glance at the asphalt rushing hurriedly by beneath her shaking feet. Alarmed, she struggled to locate a better grip before the TARDIS lurched again.

"Doctor!" Mia screeched, feeling her fingers slip after the TARDIS banged into a car.

Mia saw a profound combination of sorrow and terror in his brown eyes. Was he remembering when Rose lost her grip on the lever at Canary Wharf and sucked into Pete's World?

_You can't let me die here! I've got to save you!_

"Doctor!" Mia shrieked again. "Please!"

_I'm going to die if you don't! _She wanted to add.

The Doctor jerked out of his thoughts. "Take my hand!"

Gritting her teeth, Mia grasped the Doctor's proffered hand and was hauled to safety. It was in just enough time too, for the TARDIS had pulled alongside the taxi in which Donna was detained, pulverised by thousands of rushing wheels.

Brandishing his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor used it to temporarily disable the robot. "Listen to me, Donna – you've got to jump." He spoke as calmly and as clearly as he could.

"I'm not jumping on a motorway!" Donna tenaciously shrieked through the open window.

"Listen to him!" Mia hissed irritably, glaring at Donna.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now come one!" The Doctor was growing impatient, and Mia wondered if he was worried.

"I'm in my wedding dress!" Donna whined as though the fact alone excused her.

"Yes! You look lovely!" Mia assured Donna; vexation edging her piercing voice. "Now come on!"

With a soft sigh, Donna opened the taxi door and readied herself to leap.

Donna opened the taxi's door and readied herself to leap. Mia and the Doctor held out their arms, prepared to catch Donna. But the fiery woman hesitated.

"I can't do it," she whispered.

"You saw what he did for me," Mia informed Donna. "The Doctor saved my life. You have to trust him. I've always trusted him."

Donna looked grimly at Mia. With a slight nod, she yelped while leaping from the taxi into the TARDIS. As Donna did so, she knocked the Doctor to the floor. Mia slammed the TARDIS doors shut behind them. Wearily, Mia slumped down into a sitting position with her back against the doors, panting.

_He's done it again!_


	4. The Runaway Bride: Part 3

A/N: Doctor Who 50th Special is next Saturday and I am hyped! So, to all my fellow Whovians, I've worked on Part 3 in honour of the upcoming celebrations, and Part 4 should be out sometime next week!

* * *

_Mia's POV_

Smoke undulated from the TARDIS, causing the Doctor to sputter whilst he extinguished the threat.

Mia cast a fleeting glance at him before sidling toward Donna, who released a mournful sigh. "Did we miss it?" Mia, with a barely audible voice, asked.

Instead of replying, Donna turned and walked near to the edge of the high-rise upon which the TARDIS had landed. Her doleful gaze scanned the skyline first, then levelled to the bustle of the city sprawled hundreds of metres beneath. Mia felt a pang of sorrow for Donna. Though she might be agonising over her missed wedding, eventually, brighter days would come.

_I'm sorry that this has to happen, _she wanted to say. _But it's all for the better, it really is!_

"The funny thing is, for spaceship, she doesn't do much flying," the Doctor declared. "We'd better give her a couple of hours." Upon noticing Donna's blank countenance, he queried, "You alright?"

Donna shrugged listlessly. "Doesn't matter."

"We've missed it," Mia murmured. Her quiet voice was almost lost in the zephyr.

"Yeah," Donna breathed, combining her answer with a heavy sigh.

"Well, you can book another date…" The Doctor suggested.

"'Course we can."

"Still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now," Donna countered.

"Yeah… yeah… sorry."

Mia felt horrible for the both of them. Donna's wedding had meant so much to her, although she better that she _had _missed it. Had they wed, Donna would have most likely been overwhelmed to see her husband turn on her and wish her death. And the Doctor was only _trying _to reassure Donna, but he was failing miserably. At least for the moment, anyway.

_But in the end, everything will be alright._

"It's not your fault," Mia explained. "Neither of you are to blame."

Donna sighed wistfully. "I suppose so, but I wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right."

Mia winked at the Doctor.

"…Yeah, yeah. But… even if I did, I couldn't go back in someone's personal timeline, apparently."

After looking quizzically at the Doctor and Mia, Donna walked forward and settled on the edge of the roof, still watching the city buzz beneath with glazed eyes.

"She's frightened and lonely." Cold, bony fingers clutched the pin-striped fabric of the Doctor's sleeve. Her hazel eyes, aglow with pity, met his with searing intensity. "Help her before she loses everything."

With a grim countenance, the Doctor held her gaze. His brows knit together and he swallowed before nodding. Producing a bio-damper from jacket pocket, the Doctor took a few steps toward Donna. "You'd better put this on," he ordered.

_That's the way._

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna spat crossly after catching a glimpse of the ring-like object between the Doctor's fingertips.

"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden."

Mia watched the Doctor as he stooped, allowing Donna to delicately pluck the bio-damper away, before settling down beside her. Releasing a soft sigh, Mia pattered across the concrete and hastily took a seat on the opposite side of Donna.

"Why doesn't _she _have to wear one?" An accusing note was evident in Donna's voice.

Mia shook her head. "I didn't arrive the same manner you did, because if I had, then I… well…"

_I hope I didn't arrive through Huon energy. But I can't be certain of anything anymore. Time's in flux, that's what the Doctor said. But how exactly does that apply here?_

"None of this makes any sense!" Donna shrieked, clenching her fists. "Robot Santas, being inside a Martian spaceship, meeting a woman that doesn't know how she exists and missing my wedding! What is all of this for, anyway?"

_You'll live for now, though you may suffer heartache. I don't know about me, though._

"The robots are your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor explained. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas. And…"

"What happened then?" Donna questioned, interrupting. The Doctor's answers were only causing her more puzzlement.

"There was a great big spaceship hovering over London," Mia clarified deliberately. However, Donna stared blankly at Mia, confirming that the ginger was absolutely unaware. "Syrocrax ship?" When those words did not cause Donna to recall anything, (Mia hadn't expected them too) Mia pretended to be stunned. "You _didn't _notice?"

"I…" Donna began.

This time, the Doctor interrupted her. "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS, both of you? And Mia, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know about the Syrocrax?" Before Mia could reply, the Doctor inquired of Donna, "What's your job?"

_I was going to answer!_

Donna rolled her eyes. "I'm a secretary," she replied nonchalantly, as though the answer held no significance.

"You?" He turned to Mia.

"Nope. Never had a job in my life. I just turned 19. I was about to leave for college."

"What kind of secretary?"

"I'm at HC Clements," Donna furthered, beginning to delve into the tale. "It's where I met Lance. I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh, really. I'd spent the last two years at a double-glazing firm. Well, I thought – I'm never going to fit in here. And then, he made me a coffee." Donna stared whimsically into the distance. "I mean, that just doesn't happen! _Nobody _get the secretaries a coffee. But Lance – he's the head of HR! He didn't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny…"

_So, so traitorous, too._

"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too!" Donna exclaimed. "So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee – that was it."

"When was this?" The Doctor queried, seeming intent on the details of the story.

"Six months ago," Donna answered. "He insisted… And he nagged me… and he nagged me… until he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

"Are you sure you made the right decision?" Mia asked. "I mean…"

_You should have thought this through, Donna._

"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor hadn't finished his interrogation.

"Oh, security systems, you know… entry codes, ID cards – that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

"Keys…" The Doctor mused.

_The key to freeing the Racnoss!_

"Anyway, enough of my CV," Donna finished. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy." She inhaled, a sad expression still lingering in her eyes. "I had this big reception planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken."

_Oh, I think you'll find quite the opposite._

* * *

The room was darkened, the wooden floor stippled with various patterns of colours. Guests chattered merrily, danced to the beat of the blaring tune and devoured refreshments, all the while laughing as though the wedding had proceeded like planned. Donna's disappearing had been suppressed and the festivities had gone on although Donna and Lance hadn't married.

_And it's a good thing they didn't! _Mia thought as, in her mind's eye, she envisioned Lance plummeting to his fate a million miles below. To have married mere hours before, then learn your husband was plotting to murder you and watch him die, would be traumatic.

But Donna was not pleased, though both she and the Doctor were unaware. The ginger stood lividly at the edge of the dancing crowd, arms folded across her chest, until she had been noticed. One by one, the invitees halted and gawked at Donna, still attired in her wedding gown.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna growled.

_Of _course_ they did! What does it look like?_

"Donna… what happened to you?" Lance inquired, breaking away from Nerys and taking a few steps toward his would-be bride.

"You had the reception _without _me?" Donna repeated, her voice more wrathful than before.

No one could reply, for they were still reeling in shock. And the Doctor was introducing himself.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor." He beamed, looking at the speechless mass.

"And I'm Mia Williams," Mia blurted. "We…"

However, Mia was drowned out by an infuriated Donna. "They had the reception _without _me!"

"Yes, I gathered," the Doctor said.

"It was rather obvious," Mia added.

Quite _obvious, if you were me, and you knew how this adventure would all end up._

"Well, it was all paid for – why not?" Nerys protested.

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna scowled at the skinny blonde girl.

"That's Nerys?" The Doctor hissed in Mia's ear.

Mia nodded. "I should think so."

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" Sylvia, Donna's mother, approached her stormily. "I got your silly message in the end – 'I'm on Earth'? Very funny. But what the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd like to know…"

"We…" Mia attempted once more to explain, but her words were engulfed by a hurricane of incomprehensible voices. Everyone in the room shuffled toward Donna – and the Doctor and Mia behind her – demanding all at once. The chaotic tumult of raucous bellows and strident whines caused Donna to burst into tears.

Bawling, the vanishing bride buried herself in a hug with Lance. Within a matter of moments, the heated chorus of voices had dissolved into applause. Over her shoulder, Donna winked at Mia and the Doctor.

Mia smirked as discreetly as she could manage.

* * *

Not long afterward, the merriment had resumed. Mia took note that the mood seemed to have lightened considerably whilst she and the Doctor leaned against the bar, watching the mirth from afar.

Her lingering gaze caught hold of the cameraman taping the reception. Nudging the Doctor with her elbow, she pointed at the man fiddling with the camcorder. "He's bound to have footage of Donna's disappearance."

The Doctor did not heed her words. Mia couldn't help but feel her heart rend as he stared at the exuberant guests through melancholy brown eyes. It as if he didn't belong at all at this joyous reunion. Though he still was hurdling the loss of Rose, a sense of urgency surged through Mia's veins.

_Please! Listen to me! Yes, I know you're lonely – and I hate to see anyone lonely – but we have to help Donna! The quicker we finish here, the faster I can return to save your life! _

"Come on," the Doctor said at last.

They entered the writhing crowd, sidestepping to avoid pattering feet and ducking to prevent being buffeted by flailing arms. In the midst of the throng, it was difficult to make out where the cameraman was, but Mia's hand was seized by the Doctor, and she narrowly dodged a table laden with refreshments and then almost collided with the cameraman in the dim light.

"Do you have a tape of Donna's disappearance by any chance?" The Doctor inquired.

"Yep," the cameraman drawled. "They said, 'Sell it to _You've Been Framed_.' I said, 'more like the news.' Here we are…"

With the click of a button, the recording began to play. It displayed a close-up of Donna shrieking as she disintegrated into golden slivers.

"Can't be!" The Doctor declared in awe. "Play it again…"

_Yes, Doctor. It _is _Huon particles._

"Very clever! Good trick, I'll give her that. _I _was clapping."

The Doctor donned his glasses and leaned close to the tiny screen as the recording rewound and then replayed. "But that looks like… Huon particles!" He whispered incredulously.

"It's got to be," Mia declared, hoping she could hurry along the deduction. "There's nothing else it could possibly be!"

"What's that? What're you talking about?" The cameraman demanded.

"That's impossible… that's ancient!" The Doctor yanked off his glasses and stepped away from the camera. He looked from Mia to the cameraman and back again. "Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that…" his voice trailed away as his eyes rested on Donna. "…it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!"

Without any delay, he sprinted away from Mia and the cameraman.

_He's going to check outside._

Since Mia had foreknowledge of the events, she rushed to Donna. There was absolutely no time to waste. "Donna!" Mia shouted. "Donna, they've found you!"

Donna detached from Lance. "But he said I was safe!" She protested, glaring at Mia. "Oi! Where is that stupid Martian anyways?" A sidelong glance proved to be futile, as the Doctor was not inside the room, therefore he was not visible amid the horde.

"It's Huon particles!" Mia said, desperation cracking her voice. "You've been dosed with Huon particles. They're so ancient that they can't be hidden by a bio-damper! You have to get everyone out. _Now_!"

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Donna retorted.

Mia bit her lip until she could taste the bitter tang of blood. "You trust the Doctor, don't you?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "'Course I do. He saved my life."

"He – he trusts me," Mia ventured. "Trusts me with his life. Not…"

"DONNA!" The Doctor shouted, leaping over a chair. "Donna, they've found you!"

Donna looked sadly at Mia. "I'm sorry."

_It's not your fault. I never should have been here._

"Out the back door!" The Doctor commanded.

"No, no. We're _trapped_." Mia insisted. "There's no way out."

"There's windows. We can get out through there." Donna gestured to the rows of drapes concealing the window. Without stalling, the trio bolted to the window, where the Doctor yanked back the drapes, revealing two robots – their weapons lowered ominously.

One raised a remote control. Images of Christmas trees and fire wreaked upon this oak-panelled building exploded in Mia's mind. She glanced over her shoulder at the tree, adorned with an assortment of shimmering ornaments and glittering garlands woven between prickly forest-green branches. Children clustered at the base of the tree, batting at the brazen baubles which dangled precariously. For Mia, delight had morphed into terror as she envisioned the barbed monster slicing innocent people.

_So many people, dead. All because of…_

"Christmas trees…" Mia breathed.

"What about them?" Donna demanded, shifting to see what Mia and the Doctor were staring at.

"They kill!" The Doctor blurted.

"We've got to get them away before anyone is hurt!" Mia commanded. "Donna…"

She was cut off by the panic that the uproar was causing.

"Out! Lance, tell them!" Donna shrieked.

"Stay away from the trees!" The Doctor ordered.

"Please, calm down and listen to them!" Mia pleaded.

_Just listen and no one has to be hurt!_

"Oh…" Sylvia Noble began.

"Listen!" Mia screeched.

"Why?" Sylvia retorted. "What's a Christmas tree gonna… oh!" She broke off as some of the dazzling ornaments cleaved from the tree and profusely spread themselves about the room.

The guests _oohed _over the spectacle. The ornaments had ceased their movements, suspended in mid-air above the guests' heads. Then, as quickly as they had awoken, the baubles re-activated and hurled themselves to the ground, making the ground tremor with explosions. Alarm caused guests to scream, wail, and flee the miniature bombs.

Ground convulsing, Mia's legs buckled beneath her and she was pitched to the floor, receiving a decent blow to her skull. A metre away, an ornament detonated and flames seared her skin. Head throbbing and vision swimming, the world blinked in and out of a hazy existence, colours swirling together like watercolours. Mia's mind was of a lone thought: _I must help them! _Regaining her footing, she stumbled toward the Doctor.

Another explosion slammed Mia to her hands and knees. Rattled and winded from the impact, she barely heard the Doctor calling above the din. However, when an ear-splitting whine racked the room, Mia shielded her ears from the terrible sound. It continued to intensify, and many unleashed involuntary screams of agony.

Pain in all but her ears subsided for the moment. Gritting her teeth, Mia raised her eyes in enough time to see the robots shatter, diminishing to motionless brazen pieces. Then the metallic whine caused by the sonic screwdriver ceased and Mia's head lolled, breathing erratic and shaky.

Another wheezing gasp and she was whole enough to clamber to her feet and head stiffly toward the Doctor, who was examining the robots eagerly.

_He needs my help. They always need me._

"What have we got?" Mia asked with feigned interest.

"Don't know." He answered, revolving the silver remote control box in his palms. "Look at that! Remote control for the decorations – but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavenger anymore." The Doctor announced grimly, dropping the controller. "Someone's taken possession."

Mia frowned. "If so, who or what?"

"Never mind all that," Donna exclaimed exasperatedly. "You're a doctor – people have been hurt."

"Nah, they wanted you alive." The Doctor tossed one of the baubles to Donna. "See, they're not active now."

"All I'm saying is, you could help," Donna insisted.

But the Doctor was fiddling with brightly coloured wires. With a swift tug, the head disconnected from the body and he pressed it to his ear. Whatever impact Donna's words had were lost as the Doctor leapt to his feet and sprinted away, shouting, "Got to think of the bigger picture… there's still a signal!"

Mia instantly turned to follow him, but she halted when Sylvia cried after her daughter. "Donna… who is he? Who is that man? And who is she – that girl who's his friend?"

_I don't know._

Mia turned slightly on her heel, to see Donna look anticipatorily at her, as though she expected the girl to answer for her. But what could she say without saying too much? One day, Donna Noble would lose all of her memories and might burn alive lest she remember.

"I am Mia Williams and my friend is the Doctor. Don't worry, Sylvia. We'll have this entire mess sorted out."


End file.
